Response to Massage in Neck Pain

NCT ID: NCT06224829

Last Updated: 2025-07-24

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

53 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-04-08

Study Completion Date

2026-07-22

Brief Summary

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This study is interested in whether baseline measures of pain sensitivity i.e. the amount of pressure required to feel pain predicts pain relief following a pain inducing massage AND whether pain relief following a pain inducing massage is different than a pain free massage or placing your hand in a cold water bath. Participants with neck pain will be randomly assigned to receive a pain inducing massage, pain free massage, or to place their hand in a cold water bath.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Neck Pain

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Pain Inducing Massage

Participants will receive 60 seconds of manual pressure applied to one point in their neck followed by 30 seconds of complete pressure release 4 times for a total contact time of 240 seconds. Pressure will be applied such that the participant rates the pain = 5/10 on an 11-point numeric pain rating scale with 0 indicating no pain and 10 indicating the most severe pain imaginable.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Pain Inducing Massage

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

60 seconds of direct pressure to the neck resulting in 5/10 pain . This will be repeated four times for a total of 240 seconds

Pain Free Massage

Participants will receive 60 seconds of manual pressure applied to one point in their neck followed by 30 seconds of complete pressure release 4 times for a total contact time of 240 seconds. Pressure will be applied such that the participant rates the pain = 0/10 on an 11-point numeric pain rating scale with 0 indicating no pain and 10 indicating the most severe pain imaginable.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Pain Free Massage

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

60 seconds of direct pressure to the neck resulting in 0/10 pain . This will be repeated four times for a total of 240 seconds

Cold Water Bath

Participants will place their non-dominant hand into water cooled by a refrigeration unit (NESLAB RTE 7 Digital One, Thermo Scientific Co., Massachusetts, USA) that circulates water continuously to maintain a constant temperature of 6 degrees Celsius (males) or 8 degrees Celsius (females). The participant will place his or her hand in the cooled water for 60 seconds followed by a 30 second break in which the participant will remove his or her hand from the water. This will occur 4 times for a total immersion time of 240 seconds.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Cold Water Bath

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Participants will place their hand in a cold water bath maintained at 6 to 8 degrees Celsius for 60 seconds. This will be repeated four times for a total of 240 seconds.

Interventions

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Pain Inducing Massage

60 seconds of direct pressure to the neck resulting in 5/10 pain . This will be repeated four times for a total of 240 seconds

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Pain Free Massage

60 seconds of direct pressure to the neck resulting in 0/10 pain . This will be repeated four times for a total of 240 seconds

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Cold Water Bath

Participants will place their hand in a cold water bath maintained at 6 to 8 degrees Celsius for 60 seconds. This will be repeated four times for a total of 240 seconds.

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Age 18 to 60 years old
* Currently experiencing neck pain with or without arm pain
* Neck pain symptom intensity rated as 4/10 or higher during the last 24 hours
* Neck pain for greater than or equal to 3 months

Exclusion Criteria

* Non- English speaking
* Systemic medical conditions known to affect sensation (e.g. diabetes)
* History of neck surgery or fracture within the past 6 months
* Current history of chronic pain condition other than neck pain
* Diagnosis of cervical radiculopathy or cervical myelopathy
* History of whiplash
* Currently using blood thinning medication
* Any blood clotting disorder such as hemophilia
* Any contraindication to application of ice, such as: uncontrolled hypertension, cold urticaria, cryoglobulinemia, paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria, and circulatory compromise
* Pregnancy
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

60 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University of Florida

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Locations

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University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Joel Bialosky, PT, PhD

Role: CONTACT

352-733-1162

Facility Contacts

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Joel E Bialosky, PhD

Role: primary

352-273-8636

Other Identifiers

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IRB202301891

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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